Monty Tours Louisville Rose Garden pt.1

By Dennis on May 5, 2011

Noted rosarian, author, and guest lecturer Monty Justice took some time from his schedule this spring to tour some rose gardens in the Louisville Metro area, or as locals call it, Kentuckiana.  While there he takes time to discuss some rose growing tips for producing your own prize winning roses or just creating your own personal beautiful place of escape.

In this first video, he discusses how vital nitrogen is on spring roses and how easy it is to apply.

In this second video, Monty discusses results from a DIY rose care guide in a Kentuckiana rose garden.

Posted in , , Tagged , , , , , , , Leave a Comment

Monty’s Rose Care Calendar for September

By Dennis on September 7, 2010

Below are rose care tips from Monty’s namesake and the creator of Monty’s Original Formula, Monty Justice, for the month of June. These tips are based on growth zone 6 and you should adjust the timing for your specific region and conditions.

September:   The hottest, most stressful days of summer are behind us, and if you have taken care of your roses all year, then you are getting ready for a beautiful display of new blooms.  I recommend using Monty’s 2-15-15 sprayed to the foliage of the plants to improve this flush of blooms and increase the vibrancy and their staying power.  However, one drawback to the cool nights and warm days is that the plants will not dry out as well as they do during the summer; this leads to mildew problems.  Spray purplish red growth at the top of the plants; treat for mildew as needed.  

When cutting blooms for your enjoyment you should have been cutting stems as long as desired since July. Be careful not to cut too much of the stem when you remove your roses for shows or for home enjoyment.  If you trim them back too far or if you prune too heavily there will not be enough sun or energy left to establish the base for new growth for next season.

Editor’s Note: September is also the time of year that many will be grooming their roses for exhibition.  Keep watching this blog for tips on what the judges are looking for and how to present your roses so they can put their best petal forward.

Posted in , , , Tagged , , , , , , Leave a Comment

Monty’s Rose Care Calendar for July

By Dennis on July 2, 2010

Below are rose care tips from Monty’s namesake and the creator of Monty’s Original Formula, Monty Justice, for the month of June. These tips are based on growth zone 6 and you should adjust the timing for your specific region and conditions.

Resist the temptation to over-water your roses because of the heat.   You can do harm to the vigor of your roses by filling the air spaces in the soil with too much water.  Roses don’t need more water now than earlier in the year unless there are many more leaves to transpire the water in the plant.  

  • They need more frequent watering of both leaves and soil, not more water.  
  • Always water through the leaves of roses prior to continuing the maintenance program.  This will prevent leaf burn and assist the effectiveness of the spray materials.  
  • Very hot temperatures slow down, if not completely stop new rose growth.

When cutting stems for your enjoyment, prune to a heavy stem approximately thigh high through the end of July.  This is completely opposite from what you did in June.  During the active growing season pruning creates vigor.  When new growth matures with thicker stems in September you will have eliminated thin, leggy stems that are not strong enough to hold up the blooms.

Posted in , , Tagged , , , Leave a Comment